ABOUT THE
adowa
This page contains information about the Irie Tones adowa, one of our
peg drums. Although we don't claim that it is exhaustive, we hope it gives
you a solid basic understanding of your instrument. If you need clarification
or have something you feel would be useful to add, please contact us.
We'd be happy to help!
Irie
Tones Adowa Features
Colors
All of our adowa drums come with a beautiful natural finish. Clear
varnish is applied to the drum after the artwork has been carved and
before the head is installed. This enhances the natural beauty of the
wood grain, and protects the wood from scratches and abrasions.
Carvings
Our adowa drums are decorated with beautiful geometric designs, around
the base and the belly.
Skins
The adowa is traditionally made with a shaved antelope skin head,
which is what our adowas come with by default. The antelope skin is
thick, strong, and comfortable to play.
Special Order adowas
Larger or smaller size adowas can be purchased on special order. You
can place an order at any time, allowing 4 to 8 weeks for delivery.
If you are interested in getting custom carvings or other unique features
don't hesitate to ask.
How
To Play Your Adowa
Position and Technique - The adowa is played from
a seated position, with the drum between the legs and angled away from
the lap slightly. The adowa can be played using the djembe or conga
techniques, but the Ewe have a playing technique unique to the adowa.
There are five basic sounds which are all combined to create the unique
adowa sound:
Bass - cup the hand with the fingers firm and close
together, bounce off the center of the head
Tone - strike the head with the index finger, the 3rd
knuckle making contact with the rim of the drum
Slap - strike the head with firm fingers, the top of
the palm making contact with the rim
Mute - with firm finger tips strike the drum. This
sound should be "dead", without a tone
Muted Slap - place one open hand on the drum head and
"slap" with the other, creating a high pitched crack.
If you watch an experienced adowa or kpanlogo player you'll notice that
they raise and lower the drum with their legs as they play. This changes
the volume of the bass and tones, allowing the player greater versatility
in creating the complex intonations and phrases common to Ewe music.
Caution - Although antelope skin is very durable, we
do not recommend playing your adowa with a beater.
How To Care for and
Maintain Your Adowa
- Transport and Exposure - Although your drum is very
durable you should avoid exposing it to the elements (direct sunlight,
extreme heat or cold, dampness, rain, snow, etc.). Also avoid rapidly
moving the drum from one heat or humidity extreme to another. If you
need to take your adowa to a different altitude you don't need to worry
about loosening it like you would a high-tension drum such as a djembe;
the verticals are already loose enough to allow variation with harming
the head.
- Cleaning - Your adowa may be cleaned with a damp
cloth, but don’t apply cleansing agents or other cleaning tools.
Avoid playing with dirty hands or leaving your drum exposed to sand
or soil.
- Maintenance - Under normal circumstances your adowa
skin does not require any oils or leather treatment to keep it in shape;
the oil from your hands should be sufficient. If you need to replace
any of the pegs you can find them on our website.
How To Peg Tune Your
Adowa
With a wooden dowel softly strike the end of the peg until you achieve
the desired pitch. Vigorous playing can cause the pitch to drop slightly,
so just give the pegs a few light taps to raise the pitch again. Do
not attempt to strike the pegs with a metal hammer or at an angle. If
you need to replace a peg you'll find them on our website.
Brief
History of the Adowa Drum
The adowa drum is one of the traditional instruments of
the Ewe tribes around the Volta and Western regions of Ghana. Adowa
ensembles consist of many sizes and varieties of this drum, along with
shekeres and metal chimes. You'll often see kpanlogo and adowa drums
played together; they sound great in ensemble because of their similar
sound qualities and playability.
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